Sandy Victims Without Home Insurance Must Prepare For FEMA Inspections

Hurricane Sandy victims who do not carry flood and home insurancepolicies have been advised by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to begin preparing their homes for disaster inspections. Since FEMA applications cannot be processed until inspectors have examined impacted properties, the agency announced this week that homeowners must begin preparing now to make inspections easier to perform.

Hurricane Sandy Victims Lack Insurance

Acquiring and maintaining flood and home insurance is one of the most important tasks a homeowner can complete after purchasing a home. The costs associated with repairing damage from major events like tornadoes and hurricanes can be astronomical, which is why experts always recommend maintaining coverage.

While many Hurricane Sandy victims carried home insurance policies and fewer carried flood insurance coverage, unfortunately some were not insured with either, leaving them in dire need of financial assistance after the superstorm devastated much of the east coast last week.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was created to serve as first responders in cases of disaster such as what was experienced after Sandy. So while some individuals may have not had insurance to coverage damage to their homes, the agency may still be able to help cover loss.

FEMA Home Insurance Recommendations

Individuals lacking home insurance who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy and want help from FEMA are being asked to take a couple of steps to ensure they have a chance of receiving financial assistance after an inspector arrives to assess the property:

Trash removal: Remove as much trash from inside and out of the residence as possible.

Damaged property inventory: Prior to disposing of damaged property, take an inventory of it and/or photographs. After this step is complete, you can check with your municipality to find out when damaged property and trash removal is scheduled.

After proof of residency is provided, the FEMA inspector will assess disaster-related damage for your real and personal property. He or she may then file your report, but cannot determine eligibility for assistance. There is no fee for the inspection.

If you have additional questions about the inspection process, FEMA recommends visiting fema.gov. Once on the site, you can search “inspection process” to acquire more details about what can be expected in the process.